Brett Kebble
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Roger Brett Kebble (19 February 1964 – 27 September 2005) was a South African mining magnate with close links to factions in the ruling political party, the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...
. Known to be personally eccentric, he became a major player in South African gold and diamond mining from the mid-1990s, especially through
black economic empowerment Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is a policy of the South African government which aims to facilitate broader participation in the economy by black people. A form of affirmative action, it is intended especially to redress the inequalities cr ...
deals, but was embroiled in allegations of corporate fraud and misconduct, the extent of which was revealed only after his death. He was shot dead on 27 September 2005 in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. The investigation into his death, involving several prominent businessmen and politicians, received significant public attention. His name was also prominent in media coverage of
Jackie Selebi Jacob "Jackie" Sello Selebi (7 March 195023 January 2015) was the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service from January 2000 to January 2008, when he was put on extended leave and charged with corruption. He was also a former pre ...
's 2009 corruption trial. 2010 court testimony revealed that Kebble was killed by hit men hired by his security chief, allegedly at his own request – an apparent suicide-by-murder. However, the complete circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.


Life and career

Kebble was born in the mining town of Springs, on the
East Rand The East Rand is a major urban area located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is the urban eastern part of Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation. The region extends from Alberton in the west to ...
. He matriculated from
St. Andrew's School, Bloemfontein St Andrew's School, established in 1863 is a public school for boys located in Bloemfontein, Free State (South African province), Free State, South Africa. The years of study are from pre-primary to grade 12. Boarders are accommodated in four ...
, and earned a law degree from the
University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...
in 1986. He was an
articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...
at Mallinicks thereafter. He entered mining in 1991, when he and his father Roger Kebble, a former mining engineer, acquired a controlling stake in Rand Leases Gold Mining and later acquired leadership of Randgold & Exploration through a
hostile takeover In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (law), company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are publicly listed, in contrast t ...
. In partnership with
Mzi Khumalo Mzi Godfrey Khumalo (born 4 November 1955) is a South African businessman and mining entrepreneur. Early life Raised by a single mother, Khumalo grew up in KwaMashu‚ Durban. One of ten siblings, his father died before he was nine years old ...
as part of a
black economic empowerment Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is a policy of the South African government which aims to facilitate broader participation in the economy by black people. A form of affirmative action, it is intended especially to redress the inequalities cr ...
deal, Kebble bought a controlling stake in JCI in 1995, though his and Khumalo's relationship later soured. At one point or another, he had a substantial interest in several other mid-size mining companies, including Randex,
Randgold Resources Randgold Resources was a gold mining business operating mainly in Mali. Headquartered in Jersey, Channel Islands, it was listed on the London and the NASDAQ stock exchanges until it merged with Barrick Gold in December 2018. History The compan ...
, Consolidated African Mines, Harmony, Western Areas, and Durban Deep; and he was involved in numerous black economic empowerment deals. Under his leadership, and to finance its R4-billion acquisition of the South Deep gold mine, Western Areas sold a half-interest in South Deep to a rival firm and hedged production forward at a low price, to disastrous consequences when the gold price increased. Subsequently, Kebble's reputation declined. On 30 August 2005, he was deposed from the companies he controlled – Western Areas, JCI, and Randgold & Exploration – as a condition of loans to keep the companies afloat, and amid concerns about financial irregularities and corporate governance lapses. At that point, 14.4 million shares in Randgold Resources were missing – Kebble claimed that they had been loaned out – and Randgold & Exploration had been suspended from the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange JSE Limited (previously the JSE Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) is the largest stock exchange in Africa. It is located in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, after it moved from downtown Johannesburg in 2000. In 2003 ...
and delisted from
Nasdaq The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...
for failing to publish its 2004 financial results. The South African
National Prosecuting Authority The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is the agency of the South African Government responsible for state prosecutions. Under Section 179 of the South African Constitution and the National Prosecuting Authority Act of 1998, which establi ...
later said that, at the time of his death, Kebble had been facing prosecution for fraud and contravention of the Stock Exchanges Control Act.


Ties to the ANC

Kebble was reported to be a member of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...
(ANC), and was certainly one of its major financiers, especially in the
Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...
. He was reportedly allied with the
ANC Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (N ...
and with
Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...
, who, during the early 2000s, led an internal faction of the ANC which opposed President
Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who served as the 2nd democratic president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Cong ...
. After his death, party members honoured him in the media and at his funeral, and Essop Pahad gave the eulogy.


Death

He was shot dead near a bridge over the M1 in
Abbotsford, Johannesburg Abbotsford is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. This suburb lies north-east of the Johannesburg CBD next to Oaklands, Highlands North and Melrose. It is located in Region E of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. History I ...
at around 9 p.m. on 27 September 2005, aged 41, while driving to a dinner engagement with his business associate, Sello Rasethaba. He was shot several times while in the driver's seat of his Mercedes. Forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow's investigation was the first to suggest that Kebble had been shot by people known to him with a pistol using 'low-velocity' ammunition used by bodyguards and security operatives. The purpose of such bullets, which require a specially adapted pistol, was to hit assassins and terrorists without passing through their bodies and hitting bystanders or hostages. Despite the closer range, the gunpowder burns in general were not severe, providing further evidence that the ammunition was of a special "reduced charge". Klatzow was also first to suggest that Kebble had committed assisted suicide.


Trial of Glen Agliotti

On 16 November 2006, businessman Glenn Agliotti was arrested in connection with Kebble's murder. Agliotti, a convicted drug-dealer, was a personal friend of
Jackie Selebi Jacob "Jackie" Sello Selebi (7 March 195023 January 2015) was the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service from January 2000 to January 2008, when he was put on extended leave and charged with corruption. He was also a former pre ...
, the National Commissioner of the
South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the Provinces of South Africa, provincial borders, and a Provincial Commis ...
. Agliotti admitted, and Selebi confirmed, that he had called Selebi shortly after Kebble's death, from near the scene of the murder. Although Kebble's family denied that he would have committed suicide, Agliotti claimed that his death had been an "assisted suicide." In its indictment of Kebble on 27 October 2008, the National Prosecuting Authority gave credence to this claim: it recognised that Kebble had orchestrated his own murder, and sought to prosecute Agliotti for his involvement in the plot. In 2009, while Agliotti was awaiting trial, Selebi was prosecuted for corruption, accused of accepting bribes and gifts from Kebble, Agliotti, and businessman Billy Rautenbach in exchange for information and preferential police treatment. During that trial, Agliotti testified that Kebble's security chief, Clinton Nassif, had, at Kebble's request, hired three hit men – Mikey Schultz, Nigel McGurk, and Faizel Smith – to shoot and kill him. Agliotti was ultimately charged with Kebble's murder; conspiracy to murder Kebble; the attempted murder of Stephen Mildenhall, an Allan Gray fund manager; and conspiracy to murder three other executives, Danie Nortier, Mark Bristow, and Mark Wellesley-Wood. When his trial began in the
South Gauteng High Court The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court, superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the eastern part of North West (South African province), North West pro ...
, following several delays, in July 2010, Agliotti pleaded not guilty to all charges. Early in the trial, one of the hit men, Mikey Schultz, confirmed Kebble's claim that he, McGurk, and Smith had been hired by Nassif – at a fee of R2 million – to assist Kebble in his own suicide. Schultz said that he had himself pulled the trigger and had shot Kebble five times. Schultz also testified that all of his instructions had come from Nassif, and thus admitted that he could not directly implicate Agliotti in the planning or execution of Kebble's death. In November 2010, Agliotti was acquitted when the court ruled that the state had not made a
prima facie ''Prima facie'' (; ) is a Latin expression meaning "at first sight", or "based on first impression". The literal translation would be "at first face" or "at first appearance", from the feminine forms of ' ("first") and ' ("face"), both in the a ...
case against him. The
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
, the elite unit of the
National Prosecuting Authority The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is the agency of the South African Government responsible for state prosecutions. Under Section 179 of the South African Constitution and the National Prosecuting Authority Act of 1998, which establi ...
which pursued Agliotti's prosecution before it was disbanded, was criticised for having indemnified Nassif, Schultz, and others implicated in the murder. Some called it a "botched prosecution."


Alleged criminal activities

During the Selebi trial, it emerged that Agliotti had acted as middleman between Selebi and Kebble at a fee of $1 million, paid from the JCI books. Kebble employees had offered holidays to Selebi's family and, through Selebi, had provided equipment to the police, and Selebi had attended dinners at the Kebbles' Johannesburg home and intervened in matters on their behalf. The Scorpions also investigated accusations that Kebble made millions of rands in disguised payments to the ANC and its affiliates. During the Agliotti trial, Schultz testified that Kebble, through John Stratton, ordered the murder of several people, including
Martin Welz Martin Sylvester Welz (born 19 October 1945) is a South African journalist and the editor of ''Noseweek'' magazine, known for his investigative work on controversial issues such as government and corporate corruption. Early life Martin Welz wa ...
, the editor of ''
Noseweek ''Noseweek'' is a monthly South Africa, South African tabloid published by Chaucer Publications that appeared in print from June 1993 to mid-2021. It is best known for regular legal action against it, including a failed bid at interdiction by banki ...
''. Smith, another of the hit men hired by Nassif, said that he had paid two men to shoot an Allan Gray fund manager, Stephen Mildenhall, in August 2005, shortly after Kebble had been required to resign from his companies as a condition for a R500 million loan from Allan Gray.


Randgold Resources fraud

After Kebble's death, his companies submitted to forensic investigations. It transpired that Kebble and other directors at JCI appropriated and sold 21.8 million shares of
Randgold Resources Randgold Resources was a gold mining business operating mainly in Mali. Headquartered in Jersey, Channel Islands, it was listed on the London and the NASDAQ stock exchanges until it merged with Barrick Gold in December 2018. History The compan ...
– worth some R2 billion – held by Randgold & Exploration. Some of the proceeds were channeled into Western Areas, the other mining company controlled by Kebble. Legal action has since been ongoing to resolve the issue of the missing Randgold Resources shares. On 21 January 2010, a revised settlement agreement was signed between the JCI Group and the Randgold & Exploration Group. In 2019, Randgold & Exploration claimed it was owed R2.7 billion by Kebble's estate.


Sale of art collection

His art collection went under the hammer on 6 May 2009. Bidders from as far as Australia, New Zealand and Pennsylvania were at the auction. One hundred and thirty-three pieces of art were sold for ZAR53.90 million. This falls short of the one billion rand that he was said to have squandered.


The Brett Kebble Art Awards

Kebble was the controversial patron of the Brett Kebble Art Awards (BKAA) which he established in 2003 to provide a showcase for established artists, and to help those less known to attain recognition. It was also meant to build a non-racial bridge into the 21st century. The Kebble as it became known, was the most inclusive award of its kind (often criticized for including a "craft" category to be judged on par with the other mediums like painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography) in South Africa. Adding to this, it was also the richest, having a total purse of R620 000 (roughly $98 000) with a grand prize of R200 000 (roughly $32 000). After Kebble's murder, his family decided to cancel the 2006 awards. In February 2006, artist Deborah Weber opened a solo exhibition in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
called Art Media Media Art on the same day that the BKAA were to open at the
Cape Town International Convention Centre The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is a large convention center in Cape Town, South Africa. The centre opened in June 2003. It is run as a partnership between the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government. Location ...
. She explored the time trajectory from being selected as an artist for the 2004 Kebble Art Awards, to working on the awards in 2005, and ending with Brett Kebble's death in September 2005.


Further reading

* David Klatzow (2010). ''Steeped in Blood''. Zebra Press. . * Barry Sergeant (2006). ''Brett Kebble: The Inside Story''. Zebra Press. . * Barry Sergeant (2013). ''The Kebble Collusion: Ten Fateful Days in a R26 Billion Fraud''. Jacana Media. . * * Muzi Kuzwayo (2007). "Forget the Vision and the Mission." In ''There's a Tsotsi in the Boardroom''. Jacana. p. 44. .


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kebble, Brett 1964 births 2005 murders in South Africa 2005 deaths Deaths by firearm in South Africa People from Springs, Gauteng People murdered by organized crime People murdered in South Africa 20th-century South African businesspeople University of Cape Town alumni Unsolved murders in South Africa White South African people Assassinated businesspeople Alumni of St. Andrew's School, Bloemfontein